Traditionally, users provide textual input to computing devices by way of physical keyboards. Physical keyboards include physical, depressible buttons that correspond to different characters and functions.
However, many types of modern computing devices do not have physical keyboards. For example, many mobile computing devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, do not have physical keyboards. Instead, a computing device may include a presence-sensitive display (e.g., a touchscreen) that displays a “virtual” keyboard. The virtual keyboard may include virtual keys that correspond to different characters and functions. Each of the virtual keys may correspond to a different area of the presence-sensitive display.
In some instances, a user may provide textual input to a computing device by tapping the user's finger or a stylus on the virtual keys of a virtual keyboard displayed by the computing device. Thus, to input the word “text,” the user may tap on a virtual key that corresponds the letter “t,” then tap on the virtual key that corresponds to the letter “e,” then tap on the virtual key that corresponds to the letter “x,” and then tap on the virtual key that corresponds to the letter “t.”
Providing textual input to a computing device by tapping on virtual keys may be problematic for some users. For instance, users may find it difficult to accurately tap the correct virtual keys, especially on small virtual keyboards. Furthermore, because a user cannot feel the virtual keys of a virtual keyboard, the user's fingers may drift out position on the virtual keyboard, resulting in a drop in typing accuracy.